We recently fell in love with Stephanie Paterson’s Instagram feed (@stephaniekicksbutt). GORGEOUS is the word that comes to mind when you see the images of Stephanie making the most challenging yoga poses look effortless in the uber dramatic shots with amazing backdrops and styling choices. We had the chance to ask Stephanie a few questions about her IG presence (50k strong) and yoga practice.

How did you get your start with your yoga practice? How long have you been committed?

I’ve practiced yoga on and off for about 20 years. I mostly did videos and started practicing regularly when I was pregnant (the hip openers felt soooo good)! After that, I had a hard time finding a yoga teacher that I clicked with until about 3 years ago. A friend of mine took me to a class that is in a garage. No fancy signs. No one to look cute for. Lol. His name is Achim and he’s a former gymnast from Germany and his class is intense and calming at the same time. I always leave feeing inspired and more balanced.

What do you think are the greatest benefits of yoga? in general and in your personal life?

The benefits of yoga, for me as a personal trainer…I constantly tax my muscles in weight training and I also run and spin. Yoga lengthens all that tightening and, knock on wood, has helped me stay injury free. And of course the mediation aspect is my favorite way to de-stress.

Your instagram photos are incredible (the backdrops, your poses, your outfits, the drama). How do you find such inspiration artistically on an ongoing basis?

I find inspiration from all the wonderful people I’ve connected with on IG – Yogis, fitness people, funny people… I also participate in challenges as well. Not for prizes or anything, just to get creative and connect with new people. That’s always inspiring!

Any tips for gals just starting out in Yoga and wanting to deepen their practice? Are instagram challenges a good place to start?

My advice for anyone just getting into yoga: find a teacher that you vibe with. If it feels forced or you feel uncomfortable, they’re probably not the teacher for you. If you’re tentative to try a real-life class, there are some great videos on the Cody app that are great for all practices. For your first IG yoga challenge, maybe pick a smaller one (i.e., hosts that don’t have a gazillion followers), and just post photos of where your practice is at that day. Spread some love to the other people participating in the challenge and I guarantee that they will send you love right back. That is the best thing about the IG yoga community. 🙂